Burned
by ComebackOfTheYear
Summary: Hermione's research of the Veil and into the return of Sirius proves a little more interesting than she expected. SB/HG
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Burned (1/3)**

**Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: Hermione's research of the Veil and into the return of Sirius proves a little more interesting than she expected.**

**September 2003**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Hermione cursed as she clutched her hand letting the book fall to the floor. She grimaced as she watched the skin on her palm blister from the Dark Magic native to the volume; she wouldn't ever get used to it. The witch couldn't pick up anything in this damned old study without it burning her. It was bad this time, worse than ever before. Smirking, she knew it meant she was getting closer to the answer.

With a wave of her wand, she sent the book to her desk. Such a shame she was burnt by everything in here, it would make things much easier if she were able to at least turn the pages without sizzling off her skin.

"Another burn, Hermione?"

Her head snapped to the portrait hanging on the wall greeting the man with a smile. "It's not bad this time."

"You've got blisters." He replied shaking his head. "You've been here all night, get some sleep."

"I'm almost there." Hermione walked over to her desk picking up a piece of parchment studying it, biting her lip. "I almost have it."

"You've been at it over a year now, you need to take a break." He sat down in his chair staring at her intently.

"Sirius, stop." She said with a sigh, "Just a little longer."

"This is Dark Magic we're talking about, love. I can't let you do this." Sirius looked away guilty she had even considered this undertaking. The burns on her hands were a constant reminder that it was him, and only him, that she was trying to bring back from the Veil.

"I have to." Hermione replied watching him attempt to look anywhere but her. He failed. "Harry needs you."

"Just Harry?" He shot back.

Hermione smiled up at him. "No, not just Harry." Coming up in front of him, she bit her lip once more in frustration. "It's going to be hard, adjusting to another you."

"We're the same person, Hermione." Sirius flashed her a reckless smile beneath his bangs. "Besides, you're hard not to like, love." He watched as she couldn't help but return his grin. "I suppose it's a good thing that Remus had me painted before I went off and fell through." She raised an eyebrow. "We wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn't."

"I suppose," she agreed. "Sirius," Hermione trailed off looking up at him before finally looking away running a hand through her curls. Nervously, she smoothed out her hair.

"I know - I know you're scared. You don't have to do this. I never wanted you to." Sirius watched the anxiety she was known for keeping in check bubble up.

"It's not that." He gave her a questioning look. This was a dangerous mission, that much he knew. How could she not be scared? She was going to pull him out of the Veil. Yes, she had put more than enough research into this endeavor, but the danger of it was overwhelming. It was frustrating, as for over a year, she refused to relay to him what was needed of her to bring him back. "As I said, it's going to be an adjustment – for all of us."

"Like I said, love, we're the same person."

"But to me you're not. We've spent so much time together. I know you almost as well as I know the back of my hand. He's going to come back, and it's going to go back to how it was that summer." She wouldn't look at him.

"I- " He stopped himself, shaking his head once more before standing up and coming to the front of the portrait. "He'll learn. I did." He flashed her another smile trying to get a rise out of her. It didn't work.

_**August 2002**_

_**12 Grimmauld Place**_

_Hermione stormed up the stairs angry with another one of Harry and his ever-constant rage. She'd accidentally dropped a porcelain cup while making tea, and it was then that he snapped, cursing her up and down for destroying it. Even Ginny hadn't been able to calm him down._

_She was already on edge, having just found out Ron had cheated on her. and the subsequent break up that ensued had shaken her more than she cared to admit. Harry's constant rows with everyone in the house were starting to grate on her nerves making everything worse tenfold. While Voldemort had been defeated years ago, she had known that Harry still had his demons, but his outlet for his anger on her was hardly the most productive use for it._

_Blindly marching through 12 Grimmauld Place, she rounded a corner finding herself at the door of one of the many rooms that had been abandoned once Sirius had died. Pushing the door open, thankful for the chance to be alone, she was met with a study lined with books. _

_Curious, Hermione pulled an unmarked book off the shelf only to quickly drop it as it scorched her hands. She cried out as the book fell open, letting out a screech of its own. Quickly, she scrambled to shut it._

"_Dark Magic."_

_Hermione whipped around, wand already in hand and pointing at the source of the voice._

"_Sirius?" She whispered mouth gaping._

"_The one and only." The man in the portrait grinned at her, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. He eyed the festering burn on her palms. "Dark Magic," he repeated, "Muggleborns can't touch anything in this study without it burning them, 'preferably to bits' as my wretched mother repeatedly said." _

"_When did you-"_

"_Remus had me painted for my birthday summer your fifth year." He cut her off knowingly. "Actually, Hermione, what year is it? You've grown, I see." She blushed as his eyes raked up and down her body openly. " I've been cooped up in this blasted study for ages now, and you're first person that's wandered in here. Remus?" He continued rattling off questions, "Where is the bloke?"_

_Awkwardly, Hermione cleared her throat, "It's 2002." Not meeting his eyes, she continued, "Remus is dead. The war is over, we won, but we lost many a good people in the fight. He was one of them."_

_Sirius sunk into his chair, head in his hands. "He was the last of us." Not knowing what to say, Hermione kept quiet. "Harry? Harry's all right at least?" He looked up, hope in his eyes._

"_He's alive, yes, but he's not doing too well after the loss of Remus. He said he was the last connection to you and his dad." She explained turning back to the shelves of books examining them closely. Picking one up, she pushed through the pain as it seared her hands flipping through it with interest._

"_He used to visit me, Remus, I mean." Sirius stood, pacing the inside of his portrait. "I think he knew I was going to do something idiotic, had me painted to keep him company if it happened. He told me I fell into the Veil, used to stay in here for hours drinking Firewhiskey talking with me." Hermione watched as he spoke, rather speaking more to himself than her._

_Shifting her feet, Hermione continued to peruse the tome letting Sirius recount memories with his fallen friend. "Sirius," she interrupted him, "This whole study is filled with books written about Dark Magic?"_

"_Yes, my family was somewhat known for that, as you know. My mother was quite proud of this particular study."_

_She looked past him, thinking. Quickly, she pivoted running her wand down the spines of the ratty old volumes muttering to herself. Flicking her wand, a Quick Quill appeared and she began speaking faster than he could hear. Sirius sat down, crossing his legs as the brunette ignored him, wrapped in her own world._

**September 2003**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Hermione smirked to herself triumphantly. She was finally done, and if she were a bragging woman, she would she say she did a damned good job. Figuring out how to bring Sirius back from the Veil had been no small task, over a year of tireless work and she had finally found the key. She was ready to bring him back. Well, physically she was ready to bring him back, emotionally, she still wasn't so sure about that.

Spending more than enough time with the Marauder, Hermione had taken quite a fancy to him. Twisting around in her chair, she glanced over at the portrait with the sleeping man inside. She had gotten to know him better than she ever thought she would have. And, he had gotten to know things about her, personal things – fears and goals - that not even Ginny knew. She smiled as she watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. Soon he would be here, in the flesh.

Hermione looked away, downcast. Expressing to him her fear that the connection with the real Sirius Black wouldn't be as profound was an understatement. If she were being completely honest with herself, Hermione Granger was terrified that she wouldn't have the same engaging conversation, the same wit, even the same pranks played on her as the Sirius she had gotten to know was capable of. This man coming back, he was broken. He would have seen things that could make a person go insane, twice over.

Of course, the Sirius in the picture had also seen things no person should ever have, his days in Azkaban coming to mind. _Azkaban_, she thought with a shudder. Her hands were covered in scars from the burns she received from the manuscripts, but it was hardly anything compared to the ones covering Sirius's body. His emotional scars were worse, she was more than aware of that.

**October 2002**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

"_What's your favorite color?"_

"_Black."_

"_Seriously?"_

"_I am always Sirius." Sirius cheekily replied._

_He had finally managed to convince Hermione to take a break from her research, but he had been unaware that when she said since they were going to be spending so much time together that she should get to know him, that it would hardly have been more than a few questions. He was quite wrong._

"_And your tea? Two sugars? Three?" It had been two months since her epiphany that the books that lined the walls of this study could might hold the answer to brining Sirius back. Originally, Harry had been her sole reason in returning Sirius back to the Wizarding World, but now, she had mixed feelings about who she was really doing it for. Sirius Black, the one who used to set her off, was now the one she spent the majority of her time with. And, if she was being completely honest, she was starting to grow feelings for him. She silently reprimanded herself, who falls in love with a portrait?_

"_Honey." He replied shaking her from her thoughts._

"_Who painted you? It's not like Remus could have hired someone to come in, you were a convicted murderer at the time." Hermione asked._

"'_Dung. Convicted murderer 'at the time?' Am I cleared, then?"_

"_Mundungus Fletcher?"_

"_Yeah, right old shady fellow, but was a wiz with a brush. Remus got wind of it and had him paint me. I'm surprised he didn't take me along when he ransacked the house. 'Dung wouldn't even touch this room."_

"_Yes, Harry had you cleared after he proved your innocence." Finally answering his question, "Took awhile, but he managed it. Have you ever been in the girl's dormitories?" She continued smiling at him, having only been privy to few of his stories of his days at Hogwarts since she had first started coming to the study._

_Hermione was awarded with a wink and a smirk. "This is Sirius Black you're talking to, of course I have, 'Mione."_

"'_Mione, it is?" She shot him a look._

"_Yes, 'Mione. But yeah, I have, many times. Quite a problem getting up there it was at first, but I got pretty good at getting up that staircase."_

"_Your favorite memory of Hogwarts?" Hermione pressed, pleased he was opening up to her. She watched as he sat back smiling at the memories coming forth._

"_Pranking __Snivellus__." He was met with a disapproving glare, "Ah, er, Snape." Sirius corrected. "James and I put Forgetfullness Potion in his butterbeer one year at The Three Broomsticks." He chuckled. "Remus figured out how to charm it so he couldn't taste it. Had Sniv – er, Snape, forgetting where everything was. Walked right into the girl's lavatory, he did. Slytherin lost a lot of house points that day." His eyes darkened at the thought of Snape now. "What happened to Snivellus?"_

"_Dead. Voldemort killed him."_

"_Good riddance."_

"_Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed._

"_You're favorite color." Sirius deflected, effectively changing the subject._

_Hermione let it go, knowing better, "Green," she answered. Biting the inside of her cheek, she hesitated before asking her question. She had always wanted to know, but wasn't sure when the right time was to ask. Better now before she didn't have the chance again, "What was Azkaban like?"_

_His expression immediately darkened. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Burned (2/3)**

**Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: Hermione's research of the Veil and into the return of Sirius proves a little more interesting than she expected.**

**Author's Note: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed or added a follow or favorite! I apologize for the mistakes in this chapter and the previous one as I am without a beta.**

_**December 2002 **_

_**12 Grimmauld Place**_

_Hermione woke with a start, feverishly gulping in breaths of air. Wildly she looked around, her eyes finally resting on her Patronus sitting in the corner staring back at her pensively. Running a hand down her face, she checked the time and sighed, 2:35am. _

_With a wave of her hand, the otter disappeared._

_Knowing she wouldn't get anymore sleep for the night, she padded down to the kitchen, opening the cupboard to find a bottle of Firewhiskey. If the nightmares she was currently having had been remotely anything what Sirius had endured when he had been here, she knew exactly why he had turned to the amber liquid sitting in front of her._

_A quick swig was all it took to calm her nerves._

_Sitting back, she cast a glance down at the bottle in front of her. Hermione had wanted to know more about Azkaban, sure, but she hadn't known that Sirius' recount of his time spent there would creep into her dreams, startling her awake every night for the past few months with images of Dementors looming over her, ready to impart their Kiss._

_Unable to have a decent night's sleep since October, Hermione knew she looked awful. Quite frankly, she was exhausted, and it only served to scare her that more of this was to come._

_She'd had a breakthrough a couple of day's prior. She downed another swig of the Firewhiskey, not wanting to even think about the consequences of bringing Sirius back. They had been much higher than she had previously thought, so much so that she took a break from her research for a few days to mull it over._

_Soul Splitting - much like a Horcrux. Merlin, how she had never wanted to hear the damn word again let alone ever attempt anything like it. Dark Magic, indeed. To give part of her soul was almost too much to bear, even for her. Hermione swallowed, the burning from the Firewhiskey still in her throat. She needed more time, more time to think this over._

_It wasn't to say she didn't think it was worth it. To bring Sirius Black back, she looked over her shoulder up the staircase in the direction of the study, what an accomplishment that would be. How she wished she could have a conversation with the man himself right about now._

_Steeling her nerves, she let the decision slip off of her tongue, "It needs to be done." Heaving a sigh, she quickly made her way to the study to devise a plan on how to go about this feat. Hermione only hoped that she could take having nightmares - real memories of Azkaban - flood her subconscious when he returned._

**September 2003**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

"You still haven't told me how you're going about doing all of this," Sirius pressed. Hermione looked at him out of the corner of her eye, there was a reason why she hadn't told him. This was hardly the first time he asked, and she knew he was more than irritated at the fact that she had kept quiet on the issue. Had he known, she wouldn't have even gotten this far.

"It's nothing really. Just a few spells, and you'll be out right as rain." It wasn't lying, per se. It was true, only a few spells, albeit including a one very dangerous Soul Splitting spell, but few spells altogether.

"Nothing really?" He was getting angry, "Is it really 'nothing really' that you won't even look at me every time I even ask?" Sirius' voice was dead quiet, his anger starting to get the best of him.

"Sirius, it's really very complicated." Hermione hedged. She knew it would only serve to fuel the fire even more. "I don't have time to explain every detail to you. I still have loads to prepare for tomorrow."

"You've left me out of this whole process. All I get are few glimpses at some of the books you pull off those shelves and try and peek at that damn parchment you're always frantically scribbling on." He pressed further. Over a year now, and he still barely knew anything. She should have known that he wouldn't have been satisfied with such little information before the ceremony took place.

"Soul Splitting." Hermione whispered, just loud enough that he could hear.

"No," came his immediate reply. Predicable. Not like he could do much of stopping her anyway. "I can't ask you to - "

"What - you can't ask me to do this? You never have, Sirius. I've already put so much work into this, that to not do it would be a complete waste of my time." She cut him off, her own temper flaring. This was hardly their first row over this subject, but now he'd been enlightened to what was about to transpire.

She watched as his visibly gave in, his shoulders slumping. Much as she would like to believe that he didn't want her to go through with this, she knew that he was only human and wished to see himself once again interacting in the Wizarding World. "Moony was right, you really are the cleverest witch of your age." Hermione blushed at the compliment.

Raising her hand, she placed it on the canvas now in front of her. Sirius mimicked her action, his hand covering hers and she wished, only for that moment that she was able to verbalize every emotion coursing through her. "We can do this," Hermione breathed.

He nodded, before smirking. "I better give you a proper thank you when I return." Sirius winked prompting a blush to appear on her face before she turned around muttering to herself about "incorrigible portraits."

Hermione screamed inadvertently waking herself up from her nightmare. Searching, she found her Patronus sitting in its corner, dutifully watching over her. Sometimes she wished she hadn't gone through all that trouble to learn wandless magic. She waved her hand effectively making her otter disappear, but not before she saw it tilt its head worriedly at her.

While she knew it was hours before she needed to leave, Hermione rose, preparing for the day ahead. She had tried to get as much sleep as she possibly could, but the nightmares only seemed to intensify the closer it got to her bringing Sirius back. Hermione had gone as far as rummaging around in Harry's cabinet for Dreamless Sleep Potion. That was, until she noted uncomfortably, that all the vials she had made for him were gone. Apparently she wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep in this blasted house.

The few hours she needed to kill before she was to leave were one of the longest of her life. She managed to straighten up the study trying not to wake a sleeping Sirius. It hadn't worked and he grumpily snapped at her to, "Really try and be quiet, love." Hermione gave him a wry smile before making as much noise as she could without waking the rest of the house.

And so, after cleaning as much as she could, Sirius back asleep, she was only left with her thoughts and some tea to keep her company.

_**May 2003**_

_**12 Grimmauld Place**_

"_Sirius?"_

"_Yes, love?"_

"_How do you deal with the nightmares?"_

_He sighed. "I figured you were having them. I knew I shouldn't have told you about Azkaban."_

_Hermione hesitated before finally relenting, "Only a few."_

"_Looks to be more than a few," Sirius said, squinting at her from across the room to get a better look at her. She had moved to the other side of her desk, pieces of parchment and volumes upon volumes forcing her to vacate her preferred seat. But, she had been foolish to think that the mere distance wouldn't prompt him to say something about her haggard appearance as of late._

_Downcast, he wouldn't look at her before saying, "They won't ever go away," at her startled appearance he quickly continued, "for me at least. I'm not sure about yours. I sincerely hope they do, for your sake."_

_While picking at her sweater she volunteered, "My Patronus looks over me. Or at least, that's what I'm thinking is happening." Finally, Hermione looked up at him to see a startled appearance of his own on his face. "What?"_

"_Merlin, you are one amazing witch - powerful too. Wandless magic, Hermione? Is there anything you can't do?"_

"'_Suppose not." She replied cheekily._

**October 2003**

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries**

Hermione let out a small groan as she pushed herself up in her bed looking for Sirius, the ever-present feeling of emptiness surging through her, driving her to seek him out. Growing anxiety at his absence forced her to throw back her sheets and place a tentative step onto the hardwood floors of the hospital. The blood rushed to her head, and she clutched it wincing painfully. However, the invisible pull to her counterpart compelled her to push through the pain and step out into the hallway.

Letting her instincts take over, she wandered down the corridor in search of Sirius.

She had blacked out only a few moments after the Veil had spit him out. Just like that, after a few spells, it just spit him out as if it was nothing. She still couldn't get over it. She heard him groan in pain, and let herself slip into oblivion, fatigue getting the best of her.

A few weeks later, she found herself waking up in St. Mungo's from yet another nightmare, and they had yet to discharge her. The blasted Healers still wouldn't let her see Sirius. They had no idea, of course, that the two were now inexplicably bound together.

Rounding a corner, she let out a sigh of relief as his face came into view as she pushed open his door. Immediately, she perched herself on the side of his bed, eyes roving over his body making sure he wasn't hurt.

"Who are you?" his gruff voice asked, anger welling that yet another person had entered his room. She could tell he was hardly getting any sleep himself from all of the poking and prodding, she assumed.

Her heart sank, and she looked down, picking at his hospital blanket. "Hermione."

"Granger? Is that you?" Her heart broke even more at the use of her surname, and it was all she could do to nod in reply.

Unable to control her impulses, she flung herself at him, hugging him fiercely as if he was the only thing in the world. In his arms, she felt complete. She was, she figured, the two halves of her soul finally becoming one with the simple touch of him. She vaguely remembered reading that something like this would happen. Hermione had scoffed at the idea back then, sure she would be strong enough to endure without him for some time. This was apparently not the case.

And so, it was to her complete and utter surprise that he flung her back, confusion written on his face. "What are you _doing_?"

Hermione recoiled back, the urge to cry overwhelming her.

**November 2003**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

"I don't get it, Sirius. I just don't." Hermione paced back in forth in the old study speaking to the man in the portrait. "It's like he doesn't even _need_ me much less care to be around me."

Sirius stayed quiet, unsure of what to say.

"I just," Hermione stopped herself, collecting her thoughts, "I just feel so _lonely_, no - that's not it - more like empty when he's not around me, as if there's this part of me that's missing. Well, there is, I suppose. I just don't understand how he doesn't feel it either." She continued, rambling.

"Maybe he does. Or, er, I do?" Sirius offered.

"He does a fine job of showing it. Always arguing with me about this or that. I made him tea the one day, just the way you like it, and he almost cursed me out."

Hermione looked to him, seeing a look of frustration written all over his face. She knew he wasn't fond of his living counterpart right now, and she knew it killed him to see her treated like she had been for the past couple of weeks.

"I understand he's going through a lot right now, what with learning that Remus is no longer with us, Dumbledore dead, and Harry coming out on top with the war, but," she trailed off. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

Taking a seat in front of the framed picture, she shook her head in defeat. It seemed like she was going to have to live with this ever-present ache, the constant migraines, the nightmares – that as she had predicted gotten worse – and Sirius' anger toward her. Most days, it was all she could do to not run up to him and hug him as if her life depended on it or even place a hand on his shoulder when he was sitting eating dinner with the rest of the Weasley's.

It wasn't only the fact that he now was the owner of part of her soul that attracted her toward him. But, the months upon months that she sat in the study with his portrait, learning more and more about him only added to the attraction that she felt toward the one and only Sirius Black. Falling dangerously in love with him before he had even returned was the biggest mistake she could have made, she mused.


End file.
